This year’s report gives well-deserved accolades to the companies demonstrating excellence in water stewardship, but also implores others to take swifter, bolder actions towards ensuring a water-secure economy and achieving Sustainable Development Goal 6.

If companies fully understood the business benefits of providing access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) they would all be doing it – and disclosing it. So says new analysis by WaterAid and CDP.

During the 8th World Water Forum in Brasília, the Business Alliance for Water and Climate (BAFWAC) signed an agreement with the Moroccan Coalition for Water (COALMA) to collaborate on water and climate, in particular around knowledge sharing and policy engagement.

I have found that businesses tend to focus water stewardship efforts within their owned-and-operated facilities, because this is where they have the most influence and ability to affect changes in practice. However, the greatest water risks – and the greatest opportunities for improved management – often lie in companies’ supply chains.

In November, over a hundred companies and NGOs came together in Mumbai for CDP’s 2017 Water Forum. The convening focused on how companies can stay ahead of the sustainability reporting curve and learn how to adopt best practice water management.